Dynamics
by Miranda Aurelia
Summary: Glimpses of the relationship between Caroline Forbes and Tyler Lockwood.


Title: Dynamics  
Author: Miranda Aurelia  
Rating: PG  
Summary: Glimpses of the relationship between Caroline Forbes and Tyler Lockwood.  
Spoilers: Up to 2x11

A/N: For the sake of this story, assume that vampires don't have a reflection.

* * *

Werewolves and vampires were sworn enemies.

_Whose bright idea was that in the first place?_ thinks Caroline irritably. It's not like they even shared the same food supply or something, so what's with all the enmity? Sure, werewolf bites were fatal, but guess what? So were stakes, vervain and sunlight!

Okay, fine, vampires hated those too, but whatever. She's trying to make a point here.

It's why she and Tyler made such an unlikely couple. It wasn't even until weeks after the impromptu kiss he'd planted on her lips that she'd finally admitted to herself that they were more than just friends.

Guess the gang wasn't expecting that to happen when they first put her on werewolf duty.

"You know he's still a wildcard, right?" Stefan tells her one day as she's sipping on her bottle of o-neg artistically disguised as cranberry juice, "Just...be careful, okay?"

"You're a good friend, Stefan," Caroline smiles at him before continuing, "I know there's the whole werewolf-vampire thing, but it's Tyler and I...I trust him."

* * *

It surprises her at first.

She gets oddly respectful looks from vampires way older than her when they find out about Tyler and her connection him.

"You've got a werewolf at your beck and call and he's willing to die for you if need be," one of them explains to her when she finally snaps, "You really have no idea how much power you have."

_He's not a weapon, he's my partner!_ she wants to yell at them. But she doesn't. She doesn't owe them any explanations.

She doesn't really get it though - after all, she doesn't have a werewolf on call anymore than Elena has a vampire on hers. Or rather, vampires, plural. But then it's Elena. Vampires didn't seem to have a middle ground when it came to her. Just two modes - kill or protect.

Anyways, it was supposed to be a one-time thing. The ancient vampire bad guy just wasn't getting the message (why does evil always have to be so damn single-minded, she rants to Elena later on), so she had to bring out the big guns.

Yeah, she threatened to sic her werewolf on him if he didn't start cooperating. Hey, it worked, even if Damon was still snickering about it hours after the fact.

Geez, it wasn't _that _funny.

When she tells Tyler about it later on, she's relieved that he seems more amused than annoyed.

"Whipped." Damon, always the helpful one.

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Tyler shoots back.

"No reflection, dumbass-hey!" Elena had elbowed him in the stomach. "Be nice," she hisses.

Tyler rolls his eyes at Caroline. _See what I mean? _he seemed to be saying.

Damon flips him the bird once Elena has her back turned.

* * *

In contrast, the werewolves seem to think that Tyler's keeping her around for thrills. A pet vampire, if you will. It certainly helps contribute to the whole alpha male image, even if he's still a bit uneasy acknowledging that part of his heritage.

They spend weekends searching throughout out the Lockwood estate. Every single nook and crammy Tyler knows about is gone through with a fine-tooth comb. Because while Caroline had Stefan to help answer some of her questions, Tyler had nobody to answer his. Well, he would have, but Mason's gone and Jules already made it clear that he had to pick a side. He doesn't get why he had to pick one in the first place. Sure, Damon annoys the hell out of him sometimes, but he doesn't want him dead. And he really doesn't want to see Caroline hurt in any way.

In the end, it wasn't that hard of a decision to make.

"Why does everyone think we're in some kind of screwed up sado-masochistic relationship?" Caroline says out loud one night as they're watching some 90's horror movie in the Lockwood's living room.

Tyler's hand pauses on the side of her hip. "Is that a rhetorical question?"

"Sorry, just thinking out loud."

"Care, look at me." He waits until she meets his gaze. "It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks. They're not us. Besides," Here he cracks a smile, "Damon's been called me whipped for the last couple of months, so they're not _all_ wrong."

* * *

As Tyler cut made his way through the wooded area to their meeting spot, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone (_something_) was watching him. Naturally his inner wolf growled in displeasure at this - _he _was supposed to be the predator here. This role-reversal wasn't something he welcomed.

The sunlight had faded almost abruptly and he narrowed his eyes as the fog in the area seemed to increase.

Tyler quickly looked behind his shoulder only to find that the direction he'd come from had already been obscured by the growing fog. With his vision impaired, he strained his ears only to find that the normal woodland sounds had been silenced.

He caught sight of a dark shape out of the corner of his eye but as he spun around, only the thick fog remained.

Taking a deep breath, he frowned when he caught whiff of a familiar scent. _Caroline._

_What was she up to now?_ thought Tyler as he randomly picked a direction and began walking. He only made it two steps when his senses flared and he was tackled from the side.

Grabbing a hold of his attacker, he pulled and rolled them over until he found himself looking into Caroline's laughing brown eyes.

"Hi?"

He wasn't buying that innocent tone. "What was that all about?"

"I wanted to see if it worked. Um...did I scare you?"

"No. A bit creeped out, maybe," he said before he got to his feet and held out a hand to help her up, "I didn't know you could do that. Got any other tricks I should know about?"

"Well...Damon knows how to turn into a crow, but it's not something I'm too keen on learning yet."

"Wait, he's the crow?" Tyler said incredulously.

Caroline gave him a curious look, "You're seen him in crow form before?"

"No, but I've seen Elena arguing with a crow a couple of times. It just makes so much more sense now."

"You thought she was going crazy, didn't you?" Caroline laughed.

"Like you wouldn't have thought the same thing."

* * *

It's those little things that occasionally cropped up in their late night conversations. Like what would happen if she turned him. A werevamp? How does that even work?

Caroline doesn't want to risk it on the chance that the change might kill him - and she's starting to realize that immortality is a burden she wouldn't want to wish on anyone she loves.

But she's selfish enough to admit that having Tyler around will definitely make eternity way more bearable.

_The one time she tried to break up with him for his own good, he saw right through her. "Care, don't do this," he said, holding onto her arms to prevent her from bolting._

_"Tyler, I...I've found someone new." The lie felt bitter on her tongue. "I'm sorry."_

_She spends the rest of the afternoon crying her eyes out at home while Elena and Bonnie try unsuccessfully to cheer her up. _

_When she enters her room that night, she jumps in surprise when she realizes that she's not alone._

_"You know, you'd be more believable if you didn't look so heartbroken," he said softly. _

Time is not their friend in this matter. She knows that the day will come when she'll have to give him up and its during those moments that she'll unconsciously tighten her hold around him.

* * *

Thanks for reading!


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